Hail Mary (1972)

[Jesse Sheidlower]

On Thu, Dec 04, 2003 at 04:48:51AM -0500, Bapopik at AOL.COM wrote:
>
>    15 January 1972, SPORTING NEWS, pg. 8, col. 2:
[...]
>    "He was parallel to the ground, his feet in mid-air and he threw a pass to
> Pat Donnelly, who made a one-yard gain.  Afterward, I asked if he really saw
> Pat or if he was throwing it away.
>    "He said, 'Let's just call it my Hail Mary Play.'"

I find this and Sam's quote interesting, in that my conception
of a Hail Mary play involves a pass that's not only unlikely
to be completed, but also, long/high. A 70-yard bomb into the
end zone with one receiver surrounded by the entire defense,
say. Similarly with other sports.

But these quotes show a use unmarked for length, where the
notable factor is only the likelihood of success.

Jesse Sheidlower
OED